Matt Green

I miss Matt Green. He did the right thing for his family and for himself, but I was a big fan. In eighteen months at the club he proved to me to be as energetic and aware as anyone we’ve had since the Keith Alexander days.

It’s odd, he was often maligned by our supporters, as many strikers are, for not scoring enough last season. He’s not ‘prolific’ was the accusation levied at him, but then when he was out of the side everyone wanted him in. I guess it’s easy to be a football fan, especially when things aren’t going your way.

He saved us from a draw on the opening day and settled nerves after coming on against Swindon.

Matt didn’t shine this season, but he didn’t get the chance. He bagged a few goals early doors, featured on the cover of our printed fanzine and was cast aside. He probably didn’t fit the pattern of play we wanted to operate. After all, John Akinde wasn’t employed purely as a target man and if Matt Green played, we would use him as the runner.

It meant he often got half an hour or so with Rheady, but never struck up a partnership with Big John. They’d run the same channels and looked to be very similar players, only with John having the added bulk and Greeny perhaps, just perhaps, being too lightweight to play the hold up role.

I still miss him though and his contribution to the season shouldn’t be forgotten. He saved us from a draw on the opening day and settled nerves after coming on against Swindon, two results that gave us the foundations of a great season.